Shipping case and the like



Se t. 12, 1933. s. R. DUMMER SHIPPING CASE AND THE LIKE Filed June 7, 1930 v 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 BY wykb pzllbwwwf ATTORNEY Sept. 12, 1933.

S. R. DUMMER SHIPPING CASE AND THE LIKE Filed June 7, 1930 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR Patented Sept. 12, 1933 UNITED STATES PATIENT OFFICE 1,926,268 SHIPPING CASE AND. THELIKE Samuel Russell Bummer, Verona, N. J.. Application :June 7, 1930. Serial No. 459,622

6 Claims. (01,217-12) The present invention relates to improvements in shipping cases, packing box structures and the like and has for its object to produce a simplified and economically made protective case which may be easily and quickly assembled and wherein the members are interrelated and reinforced so as to possess materially greater strength than obtaining in the types of ship-- ping case structures asat present used.

An important feature of my improved box structure, which contributes to obtaining added strength so as more successfully to Withstand the shocks and stresses to which the case is subjected in shipment consists of an improved form of corner reinforcing and supporting member adapted to retain the side or panel members in position. These corner members of the present invention-are specially designed to support 7 the panels in position to form a lock type of joint or corner structure peculiarly adapted for obtaining'maximum resistance to displacement and damage. The improved corner members are further of a form to support the side or panel members so as to resist movement under pressures acting inwardlyand outwardly of the formed case and by their interlocked engagement with the sides or panels are retained in effective assembled position without the aid of other fastening means such. as. nails or screws. Accordingly, the assembled casemay be firmly secured'and sealed with metal strapping with all parts thereof firmly and securely interlocked as a rigid structure thereby to insure against pilfering or tampering with thecontents. The non-requirement of nailing results in substantial economy in the assembling operation, eliminates the damage to the sides or panels and the other objections incident to the use of nails and moreover materially adds to the salvage value in the. reuse of the case or parts thereof. The improved corner'reinforcing and supporting members are particularly well adapted for use with panel members formed of laminated or ply wood thereby to form a case of substantial strength and having the advantages of greater resistance to fracture, reduced tendency to shrink and desirable reduction in weight.

The foregoing and other important features and advantages of the present improvements will be more fully understood by reference to the accompanying drawings wherein like reference numerals are applied to the corresponding parts in the several views.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a view in perspective illustrating av shippingcase or container made in accordance with the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a. view in perspective showing the improved corner reinforcing and supporting member of my invention as viewed from the (30 inner'side thereof. r

Fig. 3 is a view in perspective generally simi-. lar to Fig. 2 and having the .panel members in assembled position.

Fig. 4 is a view generally similar to Fig; 1 5 showing a modified form of strapping.

Fig. 5 is a View in vertical section of an assembled' shipping case orboX with the top panel separated therefrom and in position for assembling for completing the case.

Fig. 6 is a detail sectional view taken on line 66 of Fig. 2. I

' Fig. 7 is a detail sectional view showing the centrally positioned reinforcing clip.

The improved corner reinforcing and supportmg: members, afas here illustrated in an approved form, are preferably made of sheet metal stamped and'pressed to form as best shown in' Fig. 2 into an open baseand hollow tetrahedron or corner contour adapted'to fit onto the corners of a rectangular box, shipping casev or similar container. The corner members: are further specially formed to have interlocking and supporting engagement with the sides or panel members of the case withthe panels in the mutually overlapping and supportingrelation for producing the well known lock type corner construction which produces a particularly strong and rigid structure or container.

The corner reinforcing and supporting mem- 0 bers, hereinafter referred to. as corner members,'are as shown composed of the three integrally formed and generally triangular'shaped walls 1, 2 and '3 in mutual right angular relation, beingpressed from a suitable metal. blank 7 into the hollowtetrahedron formation and desirably having the apex suitably rounded off so as to avoid acutting point. Each of the side portions or walls hasstamped-out and pressed inwardly therefrom a bearing'and'supporting lip or shoulder b of angular formation having a spacing bearing portion l at'right angles to its side-wall and having a flattened face parallel to the flat opposed surface of an' adjacent wall, for example, the face of the bearing portion 4 of the bearing shoulder of wall 1 is parallel to the inner opposed face of the wall 2. Similarly, the bearing portion 4 of the shoulder. stamped up from the wall 2 is parallel to the inner surface of the wall Band that of the wall 3 is parallel to the face of the wall 1. The inner free end or clamp portions of the bearing shoulders are turned outwardly into substantially parallel relation with their related side walls and are desirably of the form as shown having a slight curvature or flare to facilitate assembling of the panel I members therewith. In the forming of the bearlip portions 5 from their related wall members proportionate to the thickness of the panels so as to closely embrace the latter upon, assembling of the parts. Y

This arrangement of the bearing shoulders provides for supporting the side members or panels 6 of the box or case in the overlapping relation as shown for producing a lock' type corner structure having interbraeing bearing engagement of the panels.- Each of the panels, as is common to the lock type corner construction, overlies the edge of an adjacent panel at right angles thereto. As will be observed, this is accomplished in the corner construction as shown wherein the seating of each ofthe panels is upon a spacer bearing portion swan one marginal edge clamped between the shoulder clamp portion 5 and the. related corner'member wall" and with the other marginal edge of the panel abutting the inner surface of the adjacent wall at right angles to the first referred to and seated. behind the spacer portion fl of said adjacent wall, Each panel is accordingly seated within a bearing shoulder or clip of one wall and spaced froman adjacent wall thereby and within the bearing seat formed between'the first wall and the shoulder of thethird wall of the corner member. Thus each rectangular corner of a p'anelwill have abutting engagement with the in'nersurface of onecorner wall to overly the edge of an adjacent panel and will be in spaced relation from a corner wall perpendicular thereto to-reecive thereunder the panel in face engagement withthe latter wall.

ably'secured and sealed by the customarilyemployedmetal strapping 8.

The described structural arrangement of the corner membersand. assemblingof the panels therewith produces an interlocked relation of the parts of the cornersstructure wherein the metal corner members are retained in position andv fully secured upon the girdling of the panels by the metal strapping as shown in Figs. 1' and 4. The metal corner members have supporting'and reinforcing engagement with the outer and inner surfaces of the panels in addition to edgewise bearing engagement there withthereby offering desirable protection to the corners and. materially reinforcing the structure by lending strength thereto and rigidly securing the panels in proper coasting relation.

In the assembling of the improved box structure, .as best understood by reference to Fig. '5,

the metal corner members may be initially applied to all cornersvof the bottom panel and the lnay be employed having securing straps centrally arranged and encircling the box in 0pposite directions. For export'shipment and additio nal' greater security, additional bands or straps may be used in the arrangement shown inFig, l and bearing upon the corner members.

As an additional feature of the present invention and as related tothe latter method of strapping, the corner members may be formed with suitably spaced and stamped up shoulders or ridges 10-40 projecting outwardly from the wall surface; the shoulders 10 being spaced to receivebetween them the securing straps to act as keepers therefor to prevent shifting of the straps from their proper securing position. A

pair of these retaining shoulders 10 may as shown be formed on each side wall of the corner member.

best shown in Figs. 1 and '7, in the instance of elongated shipping cases particularly, there may be provided additional and intermediate reinforcing elements for the purpose of reinforcing the case at its central portion. In accordance with the present improvements reinforcing elements of theform shown at 12 may desirably be employed for this purpose. These elements orclips. as shown in Fig. 7 maybe formed of flat metal band stock bent to form channels or seats forthe panel marginal edges in right angular relation and to position the panels'in overlying relation with bearing support for the overlaid panel to support same againstinward displacement.

While I have herein disclosed a preferred formpf my invention, it will be readily understood that various structural modifications may be made therein without departing from the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims. It is'accordinglyv intended that all matter herein shall be interpreted as illustrativeand not in a-limiting sense.-

It Will be further understood that the improved structural features of the present invention are applicable to'other types of rectangular structures or containers such as crates and shipping cases having battened marginal edges although it is specially adapted for plywood panelled cases as aforesaid whichofiers substantial economies by the elimination of the battens and the cost of nailing. I

As will be noted by reference to Figs. 1 and 4, the corner members of the described construction are made in rights and lefts with relation to the formation of the shoulders so as to properly fit the respective'corners.

Having described my invention, I claim:

1.,A corner reinforcing and supporting member for shipping cases and the like having single piece panel members consisting of a corner member 'formed to overly the panel members attheir corner portions and having inwardly projecting shoulders positioned to have interlocking engagement with the panel members with the latter in similarly overlying relation to produce a lock type corner structure, said shoulders being of angular form having inner clamp portions spaced from the corner member wall proportionate to the thickness of the panel associated therewith.

2. A corner reinforcing and supporting memher for shipping cases and thelikehavingrigid panel members consisting of a corner member formed to overly the panel members at their corner portions and having inwardly projecting shoulders from each wall thereof positioned to have interlocking engagement with the panel members with the latter in mutually overlying relation to produce a lock type corner structure, said shoulders being of angular form having spacer bearing portions at right angles to the related wall and clamp portions parallel to the related wall, each of said shoulder portions being spaced from a parallel wall proportionate to the thickness of the panels. c

3. A vcorner reinforcing and supporting memher for shipping cases and the like having panel members consisting of a one piece sheet metal corner member having walls in open base tetrahedron formation to overly the panel members at their corner portions and having integral, inwardly projecting shoulders pressed up from each wall thereof and positioned to have inter- 1 locking engagement with the panel members with the latter in mutually overlying relation, said shoulders being of angular form having spacer bearing portions at right angles'to their related wall and clamp portions parallel to the related wall, each of said shoulder portions being spaced from a parallel Wall proportionate to the thickness of the panels and said clamp portions having flared end portions.

4. A corner reinforcing and supporting memher for shipping cases and the like having panel members 7 consisting of a metal corner member formed to overly the panel members at their corner portions and having inwardly projecting shoulders positioned to have interlocking engagementwith the panel members with 1 the latterin similar mutually overlying relation to produce a lock type corner structure, said corner members being formed with outwardly projecting, spaced shoulders adapted to engage the opposite edges of a'securing strap to retain the latter in position.

l '5. A shipping case of the character described case in right angular relation, substantially as described; l

6. A shipping case of the character described comprising single piece panel members positioned to have mutual overlying relation to produce a locktype corner structure, metal reinforcing and supporting members fitted to the corners thereof and consisting of triangular wall members integrally formed in corner formation and having integrally formed shoulders project- 'ing inwardly from each wall thereof ,for interlocking engagement with the panels, said shoulders being of angular form having spacer bearing portions at right angles to the related wall and clamp portions parallel to the related wall, each of said shoulder portions being spaced from a parallel wall proportionate to the thickness of the panels and securing straps secured upon the case in right angular relation. 1 V

SAMUEL RUSSELL DUMMER. 

